


A Banner Before

by lferion



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien, Unfinished Tales - J.R.R.Tolkien
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Challenge Response, Community: fan_flashworks, Gen, Poetry, Second Age, Violence, disturbing imagery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-18 21:00:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18126431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lferion/pseuds/lferion
Summary: Celebrimbor as both warning and inspiration





	A Banner Before

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [These Gifts That You Have Given Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4781201) by [thearrogantemu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearrogantemu/pseuds/thearrogantemu). 



> Originally posted to Fan Flashworks [here](https://fan-flashworks.dreamwidth.org/1438667.html) for Amnesty 31, challenges 'Stuck', 'Dangling', and 'Silver Lining'. 
> 
> This is in some part ArrogantEmu's fault, but really its Tolkien's, for Celebrimbor's really horrible fate. The details are not in the Silmarillion, but in The History of Middle-earth, Unfinished Tales,"The History of Galadriel and Celeborn," p238. _"In black anger [Sauron] turned back to battle; and bearing as a banner Celebrimbor's body hung upon a pole, shot through with Orc-arrows, he turned upon the forces of Elrond."_
> 
> Celebrimbor's name means 'Silver hand-closed-as-to-grasp/hold' — as in using a tool.

A banner before their hosts he was  
A doom, a dread, a bitter, awful sign  
To make defenders quail, lose heart, despair  
A gift of cruel cause

No more in middle earth that hand outstretched  
To grasp, Or focus living light in form  
But though cast down, the work they wrought once was  
A gift in wonder etched

Yet having been, called forth by heart and mind  
No soul but grieved to see that standard there  
Advance against all he would hold of worth  
A gift to rend and bind

Instead that desecration did ignite  
The will, that sacrifice be not in vain  
That horror, terror, hatred would not win  
That gift would serve the light

**Author's Note:**

> (So, yeah, stuck on a pole, dangling broken from it. The only silver lining (aside from the meaning of his name and calling as a master of metal-craft) is that the horror of what Sauron had done only made the people fighting under Elrond and Celeborn fight all the hards, and the Dwarves came up from behind Sauron, and tipped the balance. I'm sorry.)


End file.
